Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for a unified national response to Nigeria's security challenges, emphasizing that violent attacks spare no one regardless of religion, ethnicity, or social status.
Speaking through his representative, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President Ibrahim Hadejia, at a high-level stakeholders’ meeting on regional development hosted by the National Counter Terrorism Centre under the Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja on Thursday, Shettima stressed the indiscriminate nature of violence.
“A bullet or a bomb knows neither ethnicity nor religion,” he said. “When it is fired by the enemies of our collective peace, it does not discriminate. It kills the farmer and the trader alike, and it destroys the very fabric of our multifaceted, multi-religious, and multi-ethnic society in a devastating and retrogressive manner.”
The Vice President noted that the current administration inherited severe security issues upon taking office, prompting a coordinated strategy that tackles immediate threats while building sustainable peace.
“Every person or organisation in the business of governance must play a role in this grand mission of national restoration,” he urged.
He warned against weaponized sentiments that divide the nation, calling on leaders to dismantle divisive narratives through empathetic and unifying messaging.
“Our challenge is not only to fight the forces behind these conflicts but also to dismantle the sentiments that are weaponised to divide us and weaken our resolve to fight back as one nation. Beyond ideas and agendas, we must pay close attention to the power of messaging—rooted in empathy and understanding.”
Shettima highlighted how criminal attacks exacerbate ethnic and religious divisions, harming society as a whole.
He advocated strengthening public institutions to ensure government presence in even the remotest areas, stating: “We cannot claim to have progress as a nation unless each part of the federation moves forward at the same pace. What we need are functional institutions that guarantee the presence and service of government even in the remotest parts of the country.”
Praising the establishment of regional development commissions across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones, Shettima described them as a key administration initiative to bring development closer to communities.
These bodies, he said, will accelerate region-specific growth, foster inter-regional learning, and address unique local priorities, moving beyond past efforts with private and international partners that often overlooked tailored realities.
He called for collaboration among the commissions to tackle entrenched developmental and security issues effectively.
The remarks come amid heightened debates over allegations of targeted attacks on Christians in Nigeria, fueled by the United States' recent designation of the country as one of particular concern for religious freedom violations.
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